Mestizo: 'De'Nir' (EP) (Prefix Premiere)

It seems like almost every week something new arrives from the Machina Muerte stable that leaves you clenching your fists a little tighter and gritting your teeth a little harder. The crew have been steadily killing it with their brand of hard-boiled, bruised-knuckled, blood-stained rap, and their latest offering, a free EP that offers a taster of Mestizo’s forthcoming De’Nir album, continues the run.

From the measured aggression of his rhymes on the Hit-Boy-produced “Killin’ Em All” to the relentless, minute-long verbal attack with which he brings “Skinsuit Circus” to its climax, Mestizo is at the heart of the EP and demonstrates excellent fighting form. But he is also supported by a whole cast of like-minded individuals. The full-length version of De’Nir will be released in conjunction with New World Color next month, and the latter label’s two founders both make appearances: Blu takes a guest spot on “Green Green” alongside J Dilla’s nephew Reid, while Mainframe handles production on two other tracks. Mestizo’s co-founder at Machina Muerte, Tucson rapper Isaiah Toothtaker, also shares the mic on “In My Car,” and Scumbag Tony, Klutch, Longevity and Swiff D all weigh in with productions.

Prefix’s exclusive first listen to Mesitzo’s De’Nir EP streams below and can be downloaded via Bandcamp. The De’Nir full-length, from which this EP is excerpted, will arrive on July 17 through Machina Muerte and New World Color.